|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
WELD'S PRIMARY PLANS — Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld says he's leaning toward challenging President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary, and expects to make a decision in April. Weld gave the clearest sense of his intentions yet, and laid out a path to the GOP nomination during an appearance on the New Hampshire radio talk show Pints & Politics on Monday afternoon.
Weld separated himself from Trump on issues like immigration and climate change, while doling out some praise for his home state Gov. Charlie Baker. If elected, Weld said he would take Baker's plan to address the opioid crisis to the national stage. Weld called Baker a "great governor" and noted Baker was a member of his cabinet on Beacon Hill in the 1990s.
Weld often highlights his relationship with Baker on the trail in New Hampshire. Both men are known as popular Republican governors, and Baker considers Weld a mentor - though he has not endorsed his former boss' potential 2020 bid.
Looking ahead to a likely primary campaign , Weld is using a move that worked for both him and Baker in their gubernatorial races: Making a play for independent voters. As scores of high-profile Democratic candidates tour New Hampshire, Weld acknowledged that persuading independent voters to vote on the Republican ballot next year could be a challenge. At the same time, he sees independents, suburban women and millennials as voters he could win over.
"Some independent voters might conclude choosing between simply two men who have nothing in common other than being large, orange men. And I think politically, the president and I have not very much in common at all. That might be an appealing way to cast a vote that would make a difference," Weld said.
Read the rest of my dispatch from Concord, N.H. here.
SWEET 16 PLAYBOOK POOL UPDATE: Megan Hammond, an energy associate at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, has correctly picked the winner of 46 of the 48 games played thus far and sits atop our overall leaderboard with 120 points. Well done Megan! Phil Stupak, a senior adviser at Cambridge Global in Saratoga, Calif., is tied for 2nd place with Princeton University media guru Ben Chang; each has 116 points.
Over on the VIP board, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb leads the way with 110 points, followed closely by recent birthday boy Matt Gorman of Targeted Victory, PR Pro and CNN contributor Scott Jennings, and Rep. Joe Kennedy III, all tied with 106 points. Good luck to all in the Sweet 16 starting Thursday. Follow the action here.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attend the opening of the DraftKings Boston HQ. Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference calling for "bold climate action" in Washington. Rep. Stephen Lynch is a guest on "Boston Public Radio." The Committee on Labor and Workforce Development holds a hearing.
Former Gov. Bill Weld meets with N.H. Gov. Chris Sununu in Concord. House Speaker Robert DeLeo speaks to the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. Rep. Katherine Clark questions Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during a fiscal 2020 Appropriations Committee hearing. The state Joint Ways and Means Committee hears testimony in Arlington.
|
 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
|
- "Gov. Charlie Baker: Mueller report should be made public," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday that he wants to see the full report by special counsel Robert Mueller. "Like everybody else, I think that report ought to become a public document, and then it's incumbent on Congress to act on the findings of the report when they become available," Baker told reporters at the Statehouse. Mueller has completed his investigation into whether President Donald Trump colluded with Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election and whether Trump obstructed justice. Mueller found no evidence that Trump or his campaign officials colluded with the Russian efforts, according to a summary of the report by Attorney General William Barr that was given to Congress and made public Sunday."
- "Beacon Hill scraps plans for legislative 'trust fund' but private donations remain," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Legislative leaders on Monday scrapped plans to create a central fund where caucuses could house private donations, days after critics panned it as a potential "slush fund." But a top House official signaled the chamber will still allow caucuses to solicit gifts and donations not bound by campaign finance disclosure laws. House leaders had floated a proposal for a Legislative Member Organization Trust Fund in a midyear spending bill, where caucuses — which advocate for everything from mental health policies to enhancing the economic status of women — could deposit funds raised from 'public or private sources.'"
- "Virtual schools grow, along with costs to districts," by Christian M. Wade, Daily News: "Zoe Shultz didn't like the pressures of fitting in at high school or dealing with cliques of students who were judgmental and unfriendly. "I didn't seem to fit in very well," said Shultz, 16. "And I didn't like feeling like I was the kid who wasn't the smartest or the most popular in school." After a little more than a week as a freshman at Haverhill High School, she talked with her parents about alternatives. After some research, her family enrolled her at TEC Connections Academy in East Walpole, one of the state's two "virtual" schools, where students from kindergarten to 12th grade learn reading, writing, math and other subjects by logging into online classrooms taught by state-certified instructors."
- "Cellphone driving ban to be considered again by lawmakers," Associated Press: "Supporters of tougher laws aimed at curbing distracted driving will be making their case to a legislative committee on Beacon Hill. Among the bills scheduled for a public hearing before the Legislature's Transportation Committee on Thursday are several that would ban motorists from holding their cellphones while they drive. The measures would allow drivers to talk on their phones with hands-free devices."
- "Massachusetts poised to provide state funding to family planning clinics that lose federal money," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Massachusetts is poised to act to protect state family planning clinics from losing money under new rules proposed by President Donald J. Trump's administration. The Massachusetts House plans to vote Wednesday on a bill that House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop proposed last week, which would set aside state money to fund women's reproductive health centers if they lose federal funding ."
|
| FROM THE HUB |
|
- "The MBTA is hiring for two social media jobs — and one pays $120,000," by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: "Would you be OK with being subjected to complaints in the mornings, afternoons, and on weekends? Could you handle a barrage of criticism in real time? Are you able to deflect anger and respond to it from a place of calm and understanding, all the while doing so in an accessible way? If the answers to these questions are a resounding, "Yes, actually," then the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority may have a gig for you."
- "T vows 'blitz' will make stations look, smell better," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE MBTA, concerned that efforts to improve service have not been visible to most of its riders, is launching a $25 million spring cleaning at several of the transit authority's busiest stations and following that up this summer with the launch of a $65 million initiative to overhaul a number of stations. The first phase, dubbed "station brightening," will focus on making stations cleaner and smell better. The initial focus, starting April 1, will be on Ashmont, Back Bay, Downtown Crossing, Dudley, and JFK/UMass. More stations will be added in the coming months."
- "Boston to review affordable housing plan," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "Boston officials plan to revamp the city's largest affordable housing program this year, and may require market-rate developers to contribute more to it. The Boston Planning & Development Agency is pushing ahead with a long-discussed review of its Inclusionary Development Policy, which requires most housing developers to set aside 13 percent of units in new buildings at affordable rents, or pay money into the city's affordable housing funds. The 19-year-old program is coming off one of its most successful years."
- "'The Rollins Memo' ices out ICE, confirms no-prosecution list," by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins is ordering her staff to be on the lookout for federal ICE agents in or around courthouses, telling them to "immediately notify" her if the feds are looking for illegal immigrants in court. It's part of "The Rollins Memo" — a 65-page policy blueprint released Monday to staffers that also doubles down on her controversial no-prosecute list and details how she wants suspects, victims, cops and federal agents to be treated. Jail, she states throughout the memo, should not be the first option in many cases — not prosecuting certain crimes, she said, is a "default" position."
- "Hair test has city fighting legal battles on two fronts," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "In 1999 the city began contracting with a hair-testing firm to determine whether Boston Police Department officers were using drugs. Twenty years later, the city is entangled in two sets of lawsuits: one is with black officers who say the hair test is discriminatory and the other with the Acton-based Psychemedics Corporation, the firm that to this day administers the tests on the city's behalf. After the city sought to recoup legal fees from Psychemedics, the corporation filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court in 2017 seeking a judgement against the city."
- "Civil Commitment For Addiction Treatment Led To Loved One's Suicide, Family Says," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "Robin Wallace thought her years of working in addiction treatment gave her a decent understanding of the system. She had worked in private and state programs, and with people who were involuntarily committed to treatment. So in 2017, as her 33-year-old son, Sean Wallace, was still struggling after years of coping with mental health and substance use issues, she thought she made the right choice in forcing him into treatment. Now she thinks that contributed to Sean taking his own life."
- "The 'perfect storm' behind the recent college closings and how it could change New England," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "The next years could be scary for small colleges in New England — if the past few haven't been already. In the last several years, institutions across the college-rich region have buckled due to financial pressures. Some schools have been absorbed into larger universities, while others — from Mount Ida College to Newbury College — have abruptly announced that they will close. Hampshire College is also feeling the squeeze. In Vermont, the trend has sank three schools in 2019 alone."
|
| DAY IN COURT |
|
- "First Massachusetts state trooper sentenced in overtime scandal," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The first state trooper to be sentenced in the major overtime fraud scandal got just one day in prison — time served — after admitting he stole more than $7,000, though prosecutors pushed for three months behind bars. Eric Chin, 46, of Hanover will have to pay back the $7,125 he admitted to stealing through claiming overtime hours he didn't actually work. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns on Monday sentenced Chin to a single day in jail — which the judge deemed he'd already served before his arraignment — with three months of house arrest and nine months of supervised release."
|
| WARREN REPORT |
|
- SHE'S RUNNING: "Elizabeth Warren's Energized By Campaign Trail, Runs to Catch Train." TMZ. Link.
- "Elizabeth Warren Tells Stephen Colbert She Does Not Trust Barr's Mueller Report Recap," by Lisa de Moraes, Deadline Hollywood: "Late Show host Stephen Colbert on Monday night asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren if she believes Attorney General Bill Barr's four-page memo on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian election meddling, in which Barr says Mueller found Trump did not obstruct justice. "No," she replied. Then she added, "and you shouldn't have to ask me if I trust it. We should see the whole report." He wondered what would be in Mueller's report that she would think would be actionable. Warren was having none of it, telling Colbert she'd spent a couple days in New Hampshire where she took about 100 questions, and exactly zero of them were about the Mueller report."
|
| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
|
- "Some Democrats ask: Now that Mueller's over, where are Trump's tax returns?" by Joe Light and Laura Davison, Bloomberg News: "Democrats who were hoping the completion of the Mueller report would speed up the effort to request President Donald Trump's tax returns may be disappointed. House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal is being pulled in two directions, by progressives to quickly demand Trump's personal returns from the Treasury Department and by some moderates to wait for the full special counsel's report before proceeding. A Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Neal may be facing new pressure from moderate Democrats who want to read the full report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller before making the request. The report may not be delivered to Congress for weeks."
|
| THE CLARK CAUCUS |
|
- "Rep. Katherine Clark advocates for better pay, childcare at Cambridge town hall," by Hannah Schoenbaum, Wicked Local Cambridge: "Speaking at a town hall in Cambridge last week, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) urged her constituents to contact legislators from around the country and encourage their support for equal pay and paid family leave policies. About 100 people gathered at the Women's Economic Empowerment Town Hall, held at the Cambridge Community Center on March 21, to hear the congresswoman explain a series of upcoming bills that address economic challenges women face in the workforce and as mothers."
|
| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
|
- "Markey: Senate's Green New Deal vote a 'mockery,'" by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is a lead sponsor of the Green New Deal, a resolution mapping out a path to address climate change and fuel a greener economy, but he won't be voting in favor of the proposal when it hits the U.S. Senate floor Tuesday. Dismissing the vote scheduled by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a "sham vote" that seeks to "make a mockery of the debate in the Senate on climate action," Markey said Monday that he and other Democrats will vote "present" Tuesday as a way of rebuffing McConnell, a Kentucky Republican. It could also allow Democrats to avoid a vote that could reveal rifts within the party."
|
| ABOVE THE FOLD |
|
— Herald: "ICE OUT," Globe: "Bill would renew row over rent control," "Retribution and resistance," "Democrats face perils in pursuit of probes." |
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
|
- "Teachers, administrators ask Correia to reconsider Coogan, Costa removals," by Amanda Burke, The Herald News: "The executive board of two unions that represent about 1,000 Fall River Public Schools employees voted unanimously last week to ask Mayor Jasiel Correia II to reconsider his decision to remove School Committee members Paul Coogan and Mark Costa as voting members of the B.M.C. Durfee Building Committee, after Correia admitted he bumped them off as political retaliation. Rebecca Cusick, president of the Fall River Educators Association, said the union she heads and the Fall River Administrators Association condemn Correia's use of his power to appoint members to the committee for political purposes. The committee is tasked with overseeing construction of the new $260 million high school."
- "The Strange Case of the Martha's Vineyard Confederate Plaque," by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Of all the Confederacy-celebrating monuments in the country, the one found in the Martha's Vineyard community of Oak Bluffs has got to be one of the strangest. Didn't know Martha's Vineyard had a Confederate monument? Well, technically speaking, it doesn't. It has a Confederate plaque, installed at the foot of a statue of a Union soldier. It's weird. It's complicated. And it's back in the spotlight after calls from the NAACP to take it down."
TRANSITIONS - Juan Carlos Morales, managing partner at Surfside Capital Advisors, joins the Alliance for Business Leadership Board of Directors.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Nick Bayer, victory director for MassGOP and Caroline Darmody, a law student at Harvard.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Lightning beat the Bruins 5-4.
Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
|
|
|
| |
Follow us on Twitter
|
| |
Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family
|
FOLLOW US
|
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment